MSA's 2013 SEMA Project: Black Rhino > What's SEMA without hurdles?

T'was the last day of the build before departure.  Late nights assembling last minute parts, the front end, the BedRug, BedSlide, Retrax Bed Cover, Automatic Cargo Lights, and the interior.  After it was all assembled, we took it for a test run.  It was a rocky drive and was deemed undriveable for the 22 hours drive it was to make in a few short hours.  We then scrambled to located a truck and a trailer with the capacities to pull Black Rhino.  The problem was, we would find a 5th wheel trailer and no truck with a hook up.  Or vice versa.  After a few hours, we finally located a bumper pull that would haul the load.

Or so we thought...  After finally getting on the freeway, the trailer began to sway some.  Due to the weight, the drive was no more than 60-65mph down the freeway.  Long nights and a 2 man crew taking shifts, the trailer blew a tire approximately 2 hours from Las Vegas.  Stressed and exhausted, they changed the tire on the trailer and continued.  30 minutes later, a second trailer tire blew.  Already late to the destination, the Black Rhino was pulled off the trailer and drove the rest of the way.

Black Rhino finally made it to the SEMA show approximately 5pm, Monday before the show.  By then, our booth spot was locked up and there were no entries into the location.  So we were then set aside in a new lot where many of the other "late" trucks were parked.  Seems like we weren't the only to have issues. There was another vehicle that was to be in the same booth that had suspension problems.  Broke down on the side of the road, they rented a local shop's bay for $2,000 that night!

The rush to SEMA and fulfilling sponsorship obligations is normally a stressful time for shops.  Unless you're just bolting on parts, you're looking at newly developed parts that are being tested.  You're looking at shops balancing clients and their SEMA build.  So many factors play into building a vehicle.  The final results are always incredible though, and it is always a memorable experience.  Thanks to everyone that's been following the Black Rhino Project.  Look for it's feature in Street Trucks magazine and Diesel Army Magazine.